The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-10-12
QUEER THINGS IN JAPAN
uL1MpsEs OF A FESTIVAL IN THE
STREETS OF YOKOHAMA.

delphia Press, says Our kilograms
home having been dispatched. | pro-
cecded forth, under the guidance of Mr..
Loomis, 60 see Yokohama by night. We
had scarcely turned the corner of the
hotel before my attention was attracted
by the sound of several gongs being
beaten at quick intervals, and looking
across the canal which separates the
quarter of the city occupied by Euro
peans from the native town, | saw q
tenplc illuminated by a multitude of
Japanese lanterns and throngs Of men and
women swarming upon the streets.
whats up ~ l exclaimed. "Ah ="
said my friend, "you are quite in luck.
This is a chance you may not have again
Tor many days, or even a month. There
issmatsuri or heather festival in progress.
The sound of the gongs comes from that
temple on the brow of the hill below in
the street the merchants are holding a
bazaar and selling their wares by lamp
light. Do you wish to see the affair 2"
"Of course do, was my answer. Cross
ing one of the numerous bridges which
span the canal, we found ourselves in the
midst of "A bewildcriug scene. The long
street was lighted up from end to end by
innumcrable japanese lanterns. Before
every shop the wares for sale were dis
played in boxes and in trays, and at every
street corner there were men and women
with stands displaying the most singular
objects of merchandise
The first shop to winch we came was
that of green grocer. The fruit and
vegetables were neatly arranged in fiat
trays and baskets. | proceeded at once
TO sample the fruit, my appetite being
sharpencd for this by my long sea voyage.
The biwas, or loquats, were not bad,
though the outside is a little woolly and
the inside little stony. The plums,
apricots and peaches proved a delusion
and snare. Though fair of exterior to
the eye, to the tongue they were an abomi-
nation. for the reason that they had been
taken from the trees long before they had
ripened. The custom of plucking the
fruit for market before it is ripe is uni
versal in japan, and the reason assigned
is the alleged fact that if allowed to re-
main upon the trees until ripe the fruit
would be destroyed by insects.
Besides the fruits mentioned the green
grocer's stall furnished sweet potatoes
and common Irish potatoes, egg plants of
small size, but apparently good quality,
onions, leeks, beets, cucumbers species
of gourd which is picked, and small,
fiat, dark green squashes, cabbages and
bamboo shoots. The young shoots of
the bamboo are cut off just as they begin
to emerge from the ground as asparagus
is taken with us, and being tender and
succulent, are much esteemed as an arti-
Gle of diet. l tried some stewed bamboo
shoots the other evening and found
them not unpalatable, though it was, |
confess, little strange to think of eat
ing cooked fishing Most conspicuous,
however, among the vegetables was the
dai-kon or giant radish. These radishes
attain to huge proportions, especially in
one or two of the southern islands. The
common form is long, and specimens
vary from two to five feet in length, and
from four to ten inches in diameter at the
top. The daikon is variously prepared,
but is most commonly salted down in
brine and allowed to ferment. In this con-
dition it acts as mild laxative, counter
acting the opposite tendency of the rice
and the tea, which form the staple arti-
cles of diet among the natives. Ferment-
ed dai kon is anything but agreeable to
Caucasian nostrils.
From the green-grocers we wended
our way to a candy store. The japanese
are very fond of confectionery, and their
candies are put up very tastefully in
boxes and papers. My companion di-
rected my attention particularly to a GER
|, = . s,:eandy prepared from the
mizGzsS1i,,' - syrup extracted from malt
Il rfa II Nln.,. E IL -
starch in the rice is converted into dex-
trine, and the syrup, which is clear, col
ored like honey and very tough and
viscous in consistency, is extremely nu-
trtious. 1t is in its properties not dis
similar to some of the artificial foods
which are populaIly used among the
Western nations to nourish infants and
invalids. The candy, which in reality
contains no sugar, is quite palatable, and
is exported to Europe and America tc
some extent.
Near the confectionery store we found
the tea merchant and close by the dealer
in japanese lanterns. The florist had
set forth a wonderful display of curl.
ously dwarfed and grotesquely trained
plants, and beside him, squatting on the
ground, was the dealer in Japanese katy.
dds and tire-fies. The former are sold
in little bamboo cages about four inches
square. cage and its occupants fetch
the modest sum of ten cents. The dealer
had about one hundred cages in his stand
and the insects, nothing dismayed by the
crowds and the noise, were keeping III
cheerful chirping, which sounded like
low bird concert, and could be heard {
hundred feet away above the iabber o.
the multitude and the clatter of thei
wooden shoes upon the pavements. TIL,
tire-fiies are sold by the dozen in littl,
gauze cages, and as the dealer thrus
his hand into the eauze bag, which con
tained about a peck of the hapless littl,
beetles, in order TO withdraw a dozen o.
two for one of his Juvenile customers
the effect was little short of being splen
did. His yellow, skinny hand was span
gled for an instant by living gems anC
corruscated with blue and yellow light
rivaling in beauty the flashes of tn
diamond.
AT last we found ourselves before tn
temple. Stepping up under the wide
overhanging caves of the grotesqu
structure, we were surrounded by a mot
ley throng of worshippers. Immediatel
under the rafters, before the screen whic
hides the idols from view, were sus
pended two great gongs, aud before eac
of them hung a heavy rope, so arrange
that by pulling il the pOpp was made I